(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic monitoring system and method. In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic monitoring system and method between a network operator and a service provider.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Electronic monitoring means that a law enforcement agency, which enforces a law regarding acquiring lawful rights, collects communication information on communication subscribers.
Electronic monitoring for a communication system is executed according to lawful procedures that are established by law. In other words, when the electronic monitoring is needed, specific law enforcement agencies such as police, a prosecutors office, or an electronic monitoring enforcement agency executes the electronic monitoring for specific targets (e.g., specific terminals) that are located in a network that provides specific services, for a specific period according to the review of a legal approval agency such as a court.
In general, the electronic monitoring authority is limited in an area of a legal system of a nation to which the electronic monitoring targets belong.
Therefore, detailed matters of the enforcement of the electronic monitoring are different for each nation. Laws corresponding to each nation generally describe the enforcement of the electronic monitoring under the environments, procedures, and restriction matters where the electronic monitoring is enforced.
When the enforcement of the electronic monitoring is needed while the law enforcement agency progresses an investigation of specific targets, the necessity and justification of the electronic monitoring should be explained to an authority with an indictment or a legal agency that has authority to enforce electronic monitoring. In addition, when the corresponding agency approves the monitoring, it permits the electronic monitoring through approval such as by a warrant.
When the electronic monitoring is permitted, the law enforcement agency gives the electronic monitoring authority to each service provider according to a management interface or procedure of the area corresponding to each service provider. Herein, the service providers includes an access service provider that provides an access service to a user's terminal, to a network operator, to a service provider that provides services to be used by the user, etc.
Thereafter, the service providers transfer intercept related information (IRI) or content of communication (CC) according to the contents of the approved electronic monitoring authority to the law enforcement agency to execute the electronic monitoring services. The electronic monitoring authority that is issued in the form such as a warrant to the service provider includes detailed information on the contents and range of the intercept related information (IRI) or the contents of communication (CC) that can be transferred to the law enforcement agency.
In general, the electronic monitoring authority includes the information on the electronic monitoring target that includes a period that the electronic monitoring is to be executed, a name, a telephone number, a terminal identification number of a person that is the electronic monitoring target, etc. Further, the electronic monitoring authority can be modified in various restriction conditions and application forms under the legal area of the corresponding nation due to different law enforcing periods and different investigations.
The electronic monitoring system for executing electronic monitoring supports electronic monitoring under the assumption that the electronic monitoring authority for all the service areas is matched and there is no lawful problem, when the user is currently moved to other service areas by methods such as a roaming, a vertical handover, etc.
However, when the electronic monitoring authority for each electronic monitoring area is different, the electronic monitoring system cannot continuously execute the electronic monitoring due to different authority of two areas when the electronic monitoring targets belonging to one electronic monitoring area are moved to other electronic monitoring areas.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.